Participate in the National Sleep Survey for Sleep Awareness Week

The bedtime behaviour of thousands of Australians is going under the microscope to reveal the truth about the country's sleeping habits.

Sleep Awareness Week is launched on Monday, July 6 with an online sleep survey that questions people about their shut eye.

"Whether you're a napper, a sleeping pill popper or a midnight iPad cruiser, we want to know," says Professor David Hillman, Chair, Sleep Health Foundation, which promotes the annual event.

"If we get this important information from enough Australians we'll be able to paint a picture of how well the average person sleeps and offer advice to help them do it better."

This year the week-long campaign promotes eight hours sleep a night as a means to feel more alert, energised, decisive, happy and less prone to catching winter bugs.

The key message, 'Sleep Better, Be Better', is a powerful one, Professor Hillman says. "We're saying take your sleep more seriously and you'll see immediate and impressive results at work, at home and on the sports field."

The campaign will include advice to help busy workers, students and those in safety-first roles like truck driving and heavy machinery operation to get a good night's sleep so they can boost daytime productivity and safety.

The event runs on Twitter, Facebook and on the foundation's website where the public is encouraged to get sleep tips, complete the sleep survey and track their bedtime habits with a sleep diary.

WHAT: Sleep Awareness Week, 'Sleep Better, Be Better'

WHEN: July 6-12, 2015

WHO: Professor David Hillman, Chair, Sleep Health Foundation, will be available for interviews.

We are grateful to Forty Winks for their continued support for this event in 2015.